The Ballad of Buster Scruggs & Howard Schultz

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – In a movie that is anthological in structure, some stories work better than others. That being said, there are a lot of very fun stories, full of the crudeness of man the Coen Brothers are known for. Liam Neeson and James Franco’s respective stories both standout, and the ending is one that will surely leave when you stop watching. This is one of those movies that I liked the more I thought about it afterwards, but for me it still does not live up to its potential. The breaking up of the stories allows for some creativity, but also takes away from the film’s success. It is worth watching but that unfortunately takes away from the score. 8/10

Finally, the hallmark of fanatical centrism is the determination to see America’s left and right as equally extreme, no matter what they actually propose.

I feel a little silly arguing with this piece, as Paul Krugman has accomplished more in Economics than I can hope to accomplish in any other field. That being said, his characterization of “radical centrism” and Howard Schultz’s thought process are fairly disappointing in my view, and lend itself to some criticism.

I do not think that Krugman is being crazy when he calls out “centrists”. There is absolutely a growing group of people (albeit still very small in comparison to those on the political extremes) who hate everything about party politics. These people use terms like “identity politics” and “virtue signaling” to describe the behavior of these other sides, rather than try to engage in what they are trying to say. While there are plenty who I seriously enjoy who feel this way and there are those who have genuine reasons to interpret both sides in this light (Sam Harris, David Frum, Andrew Sullivan, etc.) there are those who most likely do not know what they are talking about in the hopes of appealing to everyone (“The Podcast bros“).

However, his ultimate argument is wrong. The idea that Howard Schultz’s consideration of running is somehow doing undue harm to our system is slightly absurd. To me, rather than telling Schultz he is apart of a dangerous American ideology, maybe try to figure out what he is appealing to that maybe people who would vote for him like. That would be significantly more productive than yelling at him to take a seat and run within the system. People can run for President, and while if I were him I would not run, he has the money and power to make that choice himself. He may be a welcome change to the two-party elections of old, and even if he is not a genuinely good politician, at least he can add an option.

Also here is a piece from Bret Stephens on the subject that is much better than Krugman’s.

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Published by Noah Garfinkel

My Name is Noah Garfinkel and I am going into my Senior year at the University of Michigan. I am currently undeclared but I am looking to be a History Major with a Chinese Minor. I am the Social Media Editor and a Staff Writer for the Michigan Review. I am also a member of the University of Michigan AEI Executive Council. I also run the 400 and the 200 for the Michigan Club Track Team.
My Goal with this site is to write as often as I can and continue to strengthen my own writing skills and work towards my goal of writing professionally. My main interests are Politics, History, Economics, and Sports. My favorite sports teams are Tottenham Hotspur and the Los Angeles Clippers. My favorite books are Ender’s Game and Friday Night Lights and my favorite movie is Reservoir Dogs.
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